Considering her family was still present, Xu Yanxia maintained her composure, nodded, and said to Lu Jingxi on the other end, "Then I'll thank you in advance! I'll treat you to something delicious when I get back."
"It's a deal!"
Lu Jingxi immediately said, "I heard the pigeon at Jiushan is especially good lately, I want to eat that! And your family's teppanyaki!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Old Master Shen, who was beside him, hurried over and said, "That whatever-yaki, it's opened by Xiao Xu's family? Hey, hey, remember to bring me along when the time comes, I want to try it too!"
Xu Yanxia couldn't help but laugh and said, "No problem."
After chatting for a few more sentences, the grandfather and grandson on the other end smiled and waved goodbye to her. Xu Yanxia also hung up the phone.
Before she could put her phone away, the video call ringtone rang again.
This time, it was Lu Jingming calling her.
She paused for a moment, walked straight out of the kitchen, went to her own room, and closed the door before answering.
Lu Jingming's handsome face appeared on the screen.
But the background was no longer the antique-looking restaurant from before. It had changed to the outdoors. She could vaguely see rockeries and pavilions, looking like a garden.
"Xiao Xia,"
He called out to her with a smile on his face.
Xu Yanxia also smiled and asked him, "Where are you? It looks so beautiful!"
Lu Jingming told her, "In the courtyard of my grandpa's old hometown house. Let me show you."
Saying that, he flipped the camera.
Xu Yanxia then saw an exquisite Chinese-style garden. The flying eaves and upturned corners were light and elegant, the double-decked corridors zigzagged, and coupled with the delicate trees everywhere, it was full of charm.
"What a beautiful place."
She couldn't help but exclaim, "Grandpa Shen was right, it really is beautiful there."
As she spoke, she remembered something else and quickly said to him, "By the way, the staff here delivered my dad's holiday subsidy to our family today. It's been years since that happened. I was wondering, did Uncle Shen do something behind the scenes? If so, please help me thank him."
"Okay."
Lu Jingming nodded immediately, "I'll ask him later. If it was him, I'll definitely pass on your thanks."
He smiled again and asked her, "Do you have any plans for tonight?"
Xu Yanxia said, "We'll have a reunion dinner, watch the gala together, and pack the small gifts for my brother's engagement banquet tomorrow."
"That sounds nice."
Lu Jingming smiled and waved at her, "Then go get busy."
"Okay."
Xu Yanxia also waved goodbye to him.
However, it was only after she hung up that she realized he had called her just to ask about her plans for tonight?
"..."
Alright.
She smiled. Just as she was about to go back to the kitchen, she accidentally caught a glimpse of the scene outside the window and couldn't help but frown.
Opposite the flower bed not far away, a person was standing behind that large holly tree, seemingly looking in the direction of their house.
They had rented this first-floor apartment to make it convenient for her grandparents to get in and out, but the privacy was indeed not very good.
However, most of the people in the neighborhood were old local neighbors. Even if someone passed by, they rarely stared into other people's homes like this.
Xu Yanxia wondered, could it be someone who just moved in?
"Sis, your rose soy sauce chicken is ready to come out of the pot!"
The voice of her younger sister, Yuan Xiaoyue, came from outside the door.
"Coming!"
Xu Yanxia replied, conveniently pulled the curtains shut, and then went out.
...
The three siblings busied themselves for a while. By the time the food was ready, it was already dark outside.
Various delicacies from the north and south were gathered on the table. The family sat around the table and began to eat.
Speaking of which, this was the first time the six of them had spent the Mid-Autumn Festival together.
Yuan Xiaoyue was very happy. When she raised her glass, she couldn't help but exclaim, "This is my happiest Mid-Autumn Festival because everyone sitting around me is someone who loves and cares for me, and someone I love!"
The Yuan family was a patriarchal family that favored boys over girls. The little girl was never liked by her grandparents since she was young. When she was little, she was always bullied by her male cousins during holidays. It was unlike the Xu family, where her older cousins treated her like their own younger sister, and her maternal grandparents treated her impeccably.
She just didn't expect that as soon as she said this, her mother, Xu Xuemei, would apologize to her, "It's my fault. I was blind back then to find a man like that, making you suffer all these years."
As she spoke, her eyes couldn't help but redden.
Yuan Xiaoyue had to quickly comfort her mother, "Mom, don't be like this. I was just expressing my feelings. Haven't all those unhappy things passed?"
"Look how great our family is now! You don't know, but nowadays a lot of girls envy someone like you—having a child, having parents, but no husband!"
Pfft...
Hearing this, Xu Yanxia couldn't help but almost burst out laughing.
However, the other two men at the dinner table were dumbfounded.
Grandpa Xu couldn't help but say to his granddaughter, "Xiaoyue, there are good husbands out there too. Your grandpa here thinks he's pretty decent."
Saying that, he looked at his wife next to him, seeking support, "Don't you agree, Grandma?"
Xu Zhanpeng, who was getting engaged the next day, also hurriedly said, "I'm not bad either. I will definitely be a good husband. I hope Jiajia won't think like that when the time comes."
"Of course, of course!"
Yuan Xiaoyue could only smile apologetically, "The men in our family are definitely beyond reproach. Sorry about that, collateral damage, collateral damage."
Xu Yanxia also smiled and comforted her aunt, "Those bad things have already passed, and our days will definitely get better and better from now on. I've heard a saying that if you eat all your bitterness in the first half of your life, the rest will be nothing but sweetness. This applies to all of us."
"Right."
As her voice fell, everyone chimed in in agreement, "Our days will get better and better from now on!"
"Sweeter and sweeter!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
...
After the lively reunion dinner, the three younger generation members took the initiative to wash the dishes and clean up.
Then the family watched TV together and took the opportunity to pack the candies and small cookies they bought today into small gift boxes, preparing to give them to the relatives and friends attending the engagement banquet tomorrow.
Compared to a wedding, an engagement ceremony was much simpler. Only close relatives from both sides would come, so there wouldn't be too many people. The gift boxes were all packed up in a short while.
The grandparents were used to sleeping early and waking up early, so they went back to their room to rest after watching TV.
A while later, everyone else also returned to their respective rooms.
When they first rented the apartment, they hadn't expected that scumbag ex-uncle-in-law Yuan Jincai to act so outrageously. The Xu siblings hadn't factored in their aunt and Xiaoyue moving back, so they had rented a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment.
For the past few days, Xu Zhanpeng had given up his room for his aunt and cousin to stay in, while he set up a temporary bed in the living room.
Xu Yanxia still had her own room. At this moment, she closed the door and was about to edit a video for a while when her phone suddenly received a new message.
It was from Lu Jingming.
He asked her, [Are you asleep?]
Xu Yanxia replied to him, [Not yet, what's up?]
Immediately after, she saw him ask her again, [Is it convenient for you to come out? I'm at the entrance of your neighborhood.]
"???"
Xu Yanxia was stunned and hurriedly typed to him, [You're at the entrance of our neighborhood??? Are you joking?]
But she saw him reply with a voice message carrying a hint of a smile, "I'm a puppy if I'm lying to you."
"..."
Xu Yanxia became even more confused and hurriedly sent him a voice message as well, "But aren't you in Yangzhou? We even video-called this afternoon!"
She saw his reply: I came over right after dinner. Just arrived a moment ago.
Along with the message, he sent a selfie—
Looking at the background, it was indeed the entrance of her residential community.
Xu Yanxia was stunned for a few seconds, then immediately got up, grabbed her coat, and headed out.
Walking all the way to the community entrance, she sure enough saw Lu Jingming.
He was wearing a camel-colored trench coat, exuding a warm familiarity in the cold night.
He was also holding a bag in his hand.
Upon seeing her, he immediately walked towards her and called out with a smile, Xiao Xia.
Xu Yanxia walked towards him as well, still looking somewhat in disbelief as she asked, Why did you suddenly come over? Especially on such an important holiday.
Lu Jingming wanted to say that it was precisely because it was an important holiday that he wanted to see her.
But he was afraid she would blush and ignore him, so he only said, Because there is something important.
What important thing? she asked immediately.
He smiled. Attending your brother's engagement party.
You're attending my brother's engagement party?
Xu Yanxia was even more surprised.
Lu Jingming nodded. He invited me. If you don't believe me, you can go back and ask him.
...
Xu Yanxia thought to herself, was there even a need to ask? If he insisted on coming, could her honest and simple brother really refuse?
After thinking for a moment, she added, Then you could have just come over tomorrow morning. Why spend time on the road on such an important night?
Lu Jingming said, I originally planned to come tomorrow, but then I thought, since I have to come sooner or later, why not come early tonight?
Saying this, he smiled again. This way, I get to see you a little sooner.
Xu Yanxia's face turned a little red, but she wasn't embarrassed or annoyed. She just asked him, Do you have a place to stay?
I booked a hotel, don't worry.
Lu Jingming handed her the bag he was carrying. Three-diced buns and thousand-layer oil cakes from my grandfather's hometown. They taste pretty good. Put them in the fridge when you get back, and you can heat them up for breakfast tomorrow.
Thank you.
Xu Yanxia took it, and then saw him say, It's getting late. Go back inside. I'll see you at the engagement banquet tomorrow.
Okay.
She nodded and told him, Tomorrow it's at the Peony Hotel, you know that, right?
I know.
Lu Jingming nodded with a smile.
Xu Yanxia waved at him. I'm leaving then. You should go back and rest early too.
Okay.
Lu Jingming also waved. After watching her walk back into the community, he turned to get into his car and leave.
Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a figure hurrying past nearby, someone he seemed to have seen before.
He could not help but pause.
It should be known that this was his first time in Qingcheng. Aside from Xu Yanxia, her brother and sister-in-law, and the few helpers at the street stall, he had not met any other locals from Qingcheng.
...
Wait, there seemed to be one more.
